MSGR. RAYMOND KUPKE
HAWTHORNE Many prayers, hymns, religious practices, art, and architecture from the medieval Church — from the “Hail Mary” and Stations of the Cross to Gothic-style churches and stained-glass windows — continue to form our Catholic identity today, said Msgr. Raymond Kupke, pastor of St. Anthony Parish here and diocesan archivist.
On March 30, Msgr. Kupke, an adjunct professor of Church history in the School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, spoke to a group of parishioners in St. Anthony Church on “The Medieval Church.” It was part of “Six Great Moments in Church History,” an in-person lecture series at the parish that the pastor has been holding at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights, starting on Feb. 9.
In addition to “The medieval Church,” Msgr. Kupke has covered the following milestone developments in Church history: “The Early Church,” “Monasticism,” “The Friar Movement,” and “The Counter-Reformation.” The series will conclude on April 13 with an examination of the Second Vatican Council. Sessions last an hour and end with a short question-and-answer period with Msgr. Kupke. At Seton Hall, he teaches general courses in Church history; electives in New Jersey Church history, the medieval Church, the counter-reformation and Vatican II; and a practicum in homiletics.
“The Middle Ages was a potent time for the development of Catholic spirituality. The ‘Hail Mary’ and hymns, such as ‘Hail, Holy Queen,’ come from the medieval Church,” said Msgr. Kupke, author of the book, “Living Stones: a History of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Paterson.” He also writes columns on New Jersey and diocesan Catholic history for The Beacon. “Despite the many ups and downs of the Church in this period, these developments [relative to spirituality and faith] have remained important aspects of our Catholic life and practice ever since,” he said. One of the important elements was the development of Gothic architecture in the Middle Ages, which took place from 500 to 1500. Now the walls of these stately stone churches could support large, heavy windows, especially stained-glass windows, thanks to the innovation of the flying buttress, an exterior arch that reaches from the ground up to the top of the sidewalls, he said.
“Most of the people in the Middle Ages could not read or write and the printing press hadn’t been invented yet. So stained-glass windows not only let brightness and color into these churches, but also served as a catechetical tool” by presenting biblical scenes or depictions of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the saints, said Msgr. Kupke, who earned a doctorate in Church history in 1995 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “Relics and shrines were becoming important parts of spirituality at this time,” he said.
In the Middle Ages, the crusades, a difficult period in Church history, started because of a devotion. The Church sponsored armies to protect the routes that Western pilgrims took to sites that were related to Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection in the Holy Land that were being blocked by growing Islamic forces. There were at least two problems with the Crusades: it legitimized the Church going to war for religious purposes and crusaders were known to pillage towns along the route. In modern times, popes have apologized for those horrible actions, Msgr. Kupke said.
Yet, the pilgrimages to the Holy Land offered most faithful, who could not read or write, a “tactile experience” of faith and a “sense of adventure,” when most of them did not usually venture more than a few miles from home, Msgr. Kupke said.
But in reality, most Western faithful were not able to make it to Jerusalem to participate in walking the Via Dolorosa, a processional route that symbolizes the path that Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. So the Stations of the Cross were developed in churches to give faithful the opportunity to contemplate the Passion of Christ. They present 14 events, during Christ’s last day — from his being condemned to death to his body being laid in the tomb, said Msgr. Kupke.
“Crusaders brought back to the west the disciplines of math and science, which were more advanced in the East,” said Msgr. Kupke, who noted that the first Crusade was successful for about 100 years. After that, the Crusades were a failure, he said.
Politically, the papacy was starting to emerge during the Middle Ages, because the pope was gaining more authority and impact in Europe. He was being bestowed with grander titles, such as the Vicar of Christ, Msgr. Kupke said.
Also emerging at the time was the College of Cardinals, which advises the pope on Church matters and elects a new pope upon the death or resignation of the previous pontiff. At first, the people of Rome elected the pope. Later, it was done by the clergy of Rome. After that, Rome wanted to get a wider spectrum of clergy involved in the process, so it invited them from the outside, laying the foundation for the College of Cardinals, Msgr. Kupke said.
But at this time, Rome was experiencing political problems too. In 1052, the Great Schism occurred, when the Eastern Church split from the Western Church. The Eastern Church stopped recognizing the pope as its spiritual leader. Some churches that did not agree formed Eastern Catholic Churches, which are in communion with Rome, the priest said.
“The East had the money and the power. But the papacy became more Western because of Peter and Paul and the East resented it,” Msgr. Kupke said.
In previous sessions of “Six Great Moments in Church History,” Msgr. Kupke covered the “Early Church” with the development of the liturgy and the three levels of clergy: bishop, priest, and deacon. In “Monasticism,” he spoke about the development of monasteries in Europe. He talked about the development of various religious communities, such as the Franciscan and Dominican orders in “The Friar Movement.” In the “Counter-Reformation,” the priest talked about efforts to oppose the Protestant Reformation and reform the Catholic Church, he said.
Every year, Msgr. Kupke presents a series of talks on a specific topic of Church history or an array of topics — a tradition that he started at Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, where he previously served as pastor.
“I thought that I have all this training in Church history that I should use it for the good of the parish,” Msgr. Kupke said.
After the “Medieval Church” talk, parishioner Dominic Mele told The Beacon that the series is “broadening my understanding of Church history. Father Ray makes it so interesting.”